Toronto Homicide #5, 2021 – Update: First-Degree Murder charge stayed against Top5 – Hashim Omar Hashi, fatally shot while attempting to drive his car into the garage of an apartment building

The Toronto 2021 Homicide Victim List is available here

Toronto police responded to the report of a shooting in the Jane St & Falstaff Ave area on January 31st at approximately 9:16pm. Several callers reported automatic gunfire being heard.

Witnesses said a man was attempting to drive his car into the garage of an apartment building when he was shot at. As a result of the shooting, the victim’s vehicle rolled and hit the closed underground garage doors of an apartment building at 40 Falstaff Avenue.

Police and paramedics located the victim in the driver’s seat of a vehicle, suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. Toronto Police Homicide Section has now taken carriage of the investigation.

Information will be added as it becomes available. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-7400, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS

Update February 1st
The victim has been identified as Hashim Omar Hashi, 20, of Toronto. TPS said the suspect’s vehicle was seen fleeing the scene eastbound on Falstaff Avenue, was located fully engulfed in flames at Earl Bales Park.

Update February 6th

Toronto police investigation team has released video surveillance of the suspect(s) and suspect vehicle. View the video here.

No matter how insignificant the information may seem, all tips are important and could be key to the investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-7400.

Update February 16th
Toronto police said search warrants were executed and Emmanuel Missah, 24, of Toronto, was arrested on February 12th and charged with:

1. Accessory After The Fact to Murder
2. Fail to Comply Recognizance

Missah is scheduled to appear in court, Monday, March, 1, 2021, at 11 a.m.

On Saturday, February 13, 2021, Hassan Ali, 22, also known as Toronto rapper Top5 was arrested, in Windsor, and charged with:

1. Accessory After the Fact to Murder
2. Two counts of Fail to Comply Probation
3. Possess Schedule 1 Substance For Trafficking- Cocaine
4. Possess Schedule 1 Substance for Trafficking- Fentanyl
5. Possess Schedule 1 Substance for Trafficking- Oycodone
6. Possess Proceeds of Property or Thing Obtained by Crime Exceeding $5,000

He is scheduled to appear in court, at 2201 Finch Avenue West, on Tuesday, February 16, 2021, at 9 a.m.

Update May 21st
Toronto police  requests the public’s assistance locating Hassan Ali, 22, AKA Top5, of Toronto, who is now wanted for:

1. First Degree Murder
2. three counts of Fail to Comply with Recognizance

Hassan Ali was originally charged with Accessory After the Fact to Murder. The charge has since been upgraded to First Degree Murder.

Update June 22nd
Hassan Ali, aka Top5 did a seven-minute Instagram livestream on June 19, letting nearly 5,000 viewers know he’s doing well while maintaining his innocence.

Update:

On Thursday October 7, 2021, Hassan Ali, 22, of Toronto, was arrested in Los Angeles, California by the Los Angeles Police Department on a an Provisional American Arrest Warrant. He is currently wanted by the Toronto Police Service for:

1. First Degree Murder
2. Three counts of Fail to Comply with Recognizance

Update September 23rd 2024: The Crown stayed the charges against Ali after the judge excluded social media evidence that the Crown said was “crucial” to their case.

According to Exclaim Magazine Crown attorney Sue Adams told the court this morning “It became clear crucial evidence has been excluded.” The judge acknowledged that while the evidence shows that Ali “goads and threatens … and celebrates the deaths” of gang members based where Hashi was killed, “the probative value of the evidence is outweighed by the prejudicial effect.”

The evidence allegedly “portrays Mr. Ali as a violent gang member with little regard for human life and who revels in the senseless killing of others. The risk that a jury will misuse this evidence and convict Mr. Ali because of his disposition is significant,” Superior Court Justice Andras Shreck wrote in a 38-page decision.